Remembering Glass
by Cheapie15
Summary: When Link said goodbye to Midna after his grand journey ended, he believed he'd never see her again. But when a mysterious girl with amnesia has a way of tracking all of the Twilight Mirror shards, Link believes there is a way to see his love again. (Post-Twilight Princess)(OCxLink)(Some MidnaxLink)(Rated M for mature themes)
1. My Name Is

**Hello, lovelies. I'm ecstatic that you are reading this, as this story has been in my head for years now and has become somewhat of my baby. If you have been reading my FMA fanfic _Support_, don't worry: I am still in the process of writing it. However, I am hitting a wall, and my dumb computer pooped out on me so I had to rewrite the next chapter. I instead wrote this one to spite my computer (however that is supposed to work). **

**Either way, this ff is near and dear to my heart, but don't take that as me saying you can't criticize it. Let me know how I can make things better, or simply give me words of encouragement to continue the story. Unless you hated the story. THEN feel free to flame me because I can take it! (actually, I probably can't, if I'm being honest)**

**So, please review! And thank you so much for giving this story a chance! **

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My Name Is

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It was dark. The stars above did little to bring light into the small opening of trees that encircled her vision. The shadows they cast on the edges of her sight created an atmosphere of loneliness and fear. Only the moon, which smiled gently above her, gave enough light to know that she was safe.

It was cold. The moon's light was not enough to quell the shaking of her limbs, as it was merely a reflection and not a source. Although the trees block most of the wind, the occasional breeze that slipped in between the trunks and limbs bit her skin and played with her hair.

It was wet. She was laying down in some sort of body of water, with all but her face and bust and toes submerged. Small waves nipped at her cheeks, enticing her to sink further into the water, but she resisted.

The girl sat up, glancing around with bleary eyes. A strange sort of oasis lay before her. She was inside a small pool, fed by a short waterfall that spanned half of the pool, which was in turn fed by three streams of water that fell from a cliffside several meters above her. Surrounding the oasis was a forest of sorts, with oak and cedar trees stretching for miles beyond walls of earth. Birds and insects called from the forest, alive with the energy of the night. Just behind her, a wooden gate with vines and insects crawling and weaving between posts barred her way out of the valley.

Finally full of her surroundings, the girl laid back down into the water, closing her eyes. What was she doing here? More importantly, who was she? Neither of those questions came with answers. Frowning at no one, she guessed she should be a little bit more worried about not knowing her own identity, but she only felt at peace here. Perhaps it was the waterfall, gently coaxing her back into unconsciousness. Or the moon, telling her she was safe and needed never to worry.

Whatever it was, her serenity was broke when the creaking of the gate above her head floated to her ears. She only opened her eyes, but she couldn't see the cause of the noise from the angle she lay. Footsteps came closer, and eventually, she saw a face looming over her own.

It was a boy, perhaps near manhood, with lightly tanned skin and dark, messy hair. Long ears protruded from below his temples, and his face was round and yet sharp at the same time. From what she could see, the white nightshirt could not hide the bulky muscle of his shoulders and his chest.

But his eyes — his eyes! They were vivid and bright, even in the darkness. The moon's reflection on the water, in turn, reflected back into his eyes, an icy blue piercing back into her own. They were intense and alert, much like a predator stalking its prey.

She realized he was saying something to her, and that she could understand. The girl finally focused on his words, attempting to make sense of them out of the little coherence she had.

" — okay? Miss?" He waved a hand in front of her face, and the spell of numbing was finally shattered into nothingness. She squeezed her eyes shut, head suddenly pounding, and groaned. The young man was silent, save for the splashing as he maneuvered himself to kneel in front of her.

With his help, she sat up, and her hand instantly went to massage her aching temples. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring back at his eyes again. His thick brows were knitted with a small crease of skin in between. "Can you hear me?"

She nodded, growing more awake as he spoke to her. He had a soothing tenor, and yet there was a slight rasp. It was enough to help shake the weakness from her muscles and looked around once more.

"Where … am I?" She managed out. Her own voice was hoarse, but it felt like it was from disuse rather than being its natural timber.

The mystery boy frowned, searching her face before answering. "You're in Ordon Village, at the spring. Do you remember how you got here?"

The girl paused for a moment, genuinely trying to remember before shaking her head no. Anything before opening her eyes to see the moon above was pitch black. Suddenly, she started to panic. The questions she had asked earlier, and how they were answerless — that was definitely not normal! And this boy, she didn't know him. He could have been the one to put her here. This could all be a trap! Maybe he would yank her somewhere else and do awful, unspeakable things …

It was unlikely, seeing his face void of anything other than concern. And his eyes, though somewhat frightening, were honest. Still, she flinched at her own internal questions.

He must have noticed her tense up because he removed his hands from her shoulders and lowered his gaze. "Sorry. I didn't mean to invade your space. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Immediately, she felt guilty.

But he recovered quickly, throwing on a grin that soothed her panic if only a little. "My name is Link. I live nearby. Who are you?"

She pursed her lips, still racking her brain for some for something tangible about herself. After a few moments, she shook her head again. "I was going to ask if you knew, actually."

Link's eyes widened a fraction before asking another question. "You have amnesia?" A nod. "Oh, Din. This isn't good. You see, I woke up when I heard this loud noise, and there was an orange light, and you just appeared —" He paused when he noticed her confusion at trying to comprehend his babbling. "Sorry, I was rambling. What I mean is, I think you came from another realm."

Another realm? How could she have come from another realm when she didn't even know about this one? She was so confused, and her head hurt so much. The girl winced visibly, and Link's expression softened. "Come on. Let's get you to see Ilia. She will know what to do."

He rose from his crouched position, but when the girl failed to stand up for the third time, he moved to put her arm over his shoulder. She felt the heat rise to the tips of her ear, embarrassed she couldn't do something so simple. As they walked toward the gate, the girl had to watch her feet in case she wobbled too much. However, she also noticed as her gaze was point downward the ragged tan tunic she wore along with black leggings that had long, jagged tears going vertically along her thighs.

Link guided her through the forest, careful to step around sharp stones and twigs that sprung from the dirt that was hardly visible in the moonlight. Thick trees passed by in a blur; it was very hard to focus on her surroundings when she was fixated on her own feet. Apparently, they passed by Link's house, and through the village of Ordona, but the girl barely paid attention.

They stopped after climbing a few wooden steps when the girl finally looked up from her feet to find herself facing a round wooden door. Link slammed his fist onto the door four or five times in rapid succession before calling out, "Ilia! Wake up, this is an emergency!"

Around a minute later, just before Link set out to pound on the door again, it opened to reveal a young woman with side swept blonde hair and tired green eyes. She glared at Link before noticing the girl that was clutching him for dear life. Ilia, the girl presumed her to be, gasped and reached out to the girl, looping her arm around the girl's waist and moving inside.

"What happened?" Ilia asked, eyes flicking between the girl and Link.

"I found her passed out at the spring," Link said. The girl was grateful that he answered for her because drowsiness was beginning to pull at her eyelids. "She doesn't know how she got here or who she is. I think she banged her head pretty good."

They passed through a room that the girl barely registered before entering another. She was forced to sit on a bed, and the two sat next to her. While Link placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady, Ilia inspected the girl's head, gingerly tracing her scalp with the pads of her fingers.

After several minutes, Ilia frowned. "I can't find any source of trauma. Heck, I can't even find a trace of blood. No bruises, no cuts … It's not a head wound that caused her amnesia."

Link's face darkened. The girl noted curiously that he hadn't mentioned his hypothesis of her coming from another realm. Perhaps that was his way to cheer her up, however strange it was. Still, he hadn't said whether he was joking or not.

"How about you spend the night in my room? Maybe you'll remember in the morning." Ilia cut off her thoughts with a tantalizing offer, one the girl almost accepted. But, no, she had already imposed enough on these people. It was enough that Link had kept her from drowning in the oasis; she didn't need to steal this kind stranger's bed, too. So, instead of nodding as she wanted, the girl shook her head no.

However, the effort was wasted, and Ilia pushed her so that she was laying horizontal along the bed. Link chuckled, and the girl couldn't help but watch as his striking eyes filled with mirth. "When Ilia sets her mind to something, it can't be undone."

Ilia smacked him lightly, but there was affection in her expression. These two must be close, the girl thought.

"However, as much as I think it's a great idea for her to stay with you," Link continued, "I think she should change out of those wet clothes, first." Ilia glanced over to see that, yes, the water dripping from her visitor's clothes and hair was getting her covers wet. With a sigh, smacked Link again, this time with the purpose to get him out of the room.

"I'll let you know if her condition changes," Ilia said as Link moved to close the door behind him. He nodded, and let one final, piercing stare shoot through the girl before the latch clicked shut.

Ilia pulled the girl up the bed, leading her to her dresser, where a mirror sat on top. The girl took this opportunity to examine her own features. Unlike Ilia's cat-like features and naturally upturned grin, the girl had a more somber appearance, with drooping, mute gray eyes, long eyelashes, and a simple line where her mouth was. She had very pale skin, almost to the point where she wondered if she was sick, and gaunt cheekbones. In contrast to her pale features, dark strands of hair fell around her waist and framed her face without any use of bangs.

Ilia watched the girl for a few moments, observing the way she took herself in as if it was the first time before she pulled out a few clothes from the drawer. As small as Ilia was, it seemed her guest was even tinier. This meant Ilia had to dig for clothes she had grown out of a little over a year ago.

The girl stripped out of the wet tunic and leggings, seemingly not uncomfortable when Ilia blushed at her nakedness. However, the pale pink scars that ran along her body chilled Ilia's blood. Many nicked the sides of her arms and legs, but there was one that slashed diagonally in between her breasts from her collarbone to the bottom of her visible rib cage. A few more carved their way along her back in criss-crossed sections. But the ones on her thighs — the long ones that ran vertically — those were more than likely self-inflicted on closer inspection.

The girl watched and waited for Ilia, curious about the look in Ilia's eyes, the way they scoured her body with pity. She didn't know what Ilia was looking at, but apparently, it wasn't good. "What's wrong?"

Ilia looked up in surprise; this was the first time she had heard her guest speak. She cleared her throat, the faint blush tinting her ears again. "Sorry, I was just looking at … your scars. Do you know what happened?"

The looked down at her own, pale, naked body with stark shock, as if she had never noticed them before. "No … I didn't realize …" She stopped speaking, but Ilia understood. She pulled out one of her old nightgowns (it might be a little short on the girl, but that didn't matter since it was only sleepwear) and a simple dark blue dress with a halter neckline. She threw the nightgown at the girl, who caught it surprisingly deftly even though her arms shook when she lifted them.

"Here, I'll leave the dress here for tomorrow morning. You can wear that tonight," Ilia paused before she turned to leave. "Do you need any help getting dressed?"

The girl hesitated before shaking her head and stepped quickly into the light pink fabric. "Thank you, Ilia," she said, her voice cracking slightly from the dryness in her throat. Just before Ilia reached the door, however, something caught the girl's eye on the dresser.

It was a small shard of glass that sat next to the intact mirror. Obviously, the shard didn't belong to the mirror itself, but it still reflected just the same. However, it drew the girl's curiosity, and she called out for her host one more time.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, inching closer to the dresser. Ilia turned her line of sight back to the girl and the shard, her green eyes sparkling with recognition at the sight of the glass.

"Oh, that? I found that near the forest temple about two months ago. It was about the same time that Link came back from his journey," she mused, knowing the visitor didn't have any clue what she was talking about.

"It's beautiful," the girl breathed. She was about a few inches from the piece of the mirror now, staring intently. It was calling for her, reaching for her; it knew her. She ripped her eyes from the mirror for a second to look at Ilia. "May I see it?"

Ilia shrugged. "You can have it if you want. I just picked it up on a whim."

The girl picked up the shard but nearly dropped it as light entered from the glass and filled the room. Voices screamed out, calling, screeching, one word. The girl covered her ears, moaning in an attempt to drown out the others. Ilia fell to her knees, voices falling mute upon her ears, but she still had to shield her eyes from the orange light. Ilia crawled toward the girl and pulling her close to her chest, feeling a wetness stain her shoulder.

And then, just like that, it was over. The mirror had fallen to the floor, miraculously undamaged. The voices ceased; the light was absorbed back into the mirror shard. Ilia let the girl shiver and hiccup for a few minutes, rubbing her shaking back like she was a small child. Eventually, her charge mumbled something into Ilia's shoulder.

"What was that?" Ilia asked softly. The girl pulled back, revealing watery eyes that were filled not with fear, but rather exhaustion and confusion.

"My name …"

"Your name …?"

"I know it — my name, I mean." The girl took a deep breath. "My name is Aris."


	2. The Start

**Hello, lovelies. I know, it's amazing. Two updates in one day! Crazy ... Anyway, I just wanted to rip this one out of my butt so that I can feel more concrete about it. It's nice getting my thoughts out onto the screen.**

**I realized I forgot to put a blanket disclaimer before I posted the last chapter. So here it is: I do not in any shape, way, or form own any part of the Legend of Zelda franchise. I only own my plot and my OCs. **

**As usual, criticize my work by PMing me or REVIEWING. It's very exciting when I check my e-mail and notice I have gotten a new review.**

**Thanks in advance, and enjoy the story**

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The Start

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After Aris's revelation, she remembered a few other things, too. Like that she was sixteen, and that her favorite food was the bread from a bakery that she couldn't remember the name of. She remembered her favorite colors were green and orange, and she liked autumn the most out of the seasons. There was also information about other races besides the humans, along with the world around her, but there wasn't a lot to go on other than vague descriptions and images. The knowledge in Aris's mind was overflowing, but nothing pointed directly to where she came from or of anyone she knew directly.

Ilia listened to her babble until her throat was hoarse and cracking again when Ilia immediately sent her straight to bed.

Aris woke up the next morning groggy and tired, but she was in a good mood. After putting on the simple dress Ilia had given her the night before, she walked out of the bedroom humming a tune that she made up on the way. In the main room that Link and Ilia had dragged her through last night served as a kitchen and a sitting room. On the wall across from Ilia's room was a small kitchenette, complete with about twenty pots of ingredients and spices that were sealed with corks. However, to Aris's immediate right was a small study. Books lined several shelves behind a heavy, wooden desk.

Sitting at the desk was a large, bald, old man with squinty eyes, a long upper lip, and facial hair that looked like tusks. He was dressed in a white tunic and brown pants, along with leg bindings and a girdle attached to his waist. The old man looked up at her, appraising her appearance, before standing up and walked around the desk to stand in front up Aris.

"Good morning," he said.

" … Good morning …" Aris didn't want to be rude, but his presence was intimidating, to say the least, and she quickly retreated into her shell. Ilia hadn't said anything about someone else living in the house with her.

However, a glimpse of a smile crossed his face, and the old man stuck out his hand. "I'm Bo, the Mayor of Ordon. My daughter, Ilia, told me of your arrival last night, and how you can't remember anything."

Aris took his hand, and he either didn't notice her trembling or ignored it. "Actually, I did end up remembering some things last night. My name is Aris."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Aris," Bo said. His voice was warm, which calmed her frazzled nerves. At first, he reminded her of a bear, tall and scary, but now he was more like a Goron: big, sturdy, and warm-hearted. "You're welcome to stay in our village for as long as you'd like."

"Oh, no, I couldn't-" Aris cut herself off, realizing that even though she was trying to be polite, she really didn't have another place to go. She didn't even know what lay beyond the spring she had woken up in the night prior. Besides, Bo giving her a look that stopped her, knowing where she was going with those words.

"Nonsense! If you stay until you grow to be my age, no one would mind," he said, letting go of her hand. "In fact, I'm sure everyone will be excited to see a fresh face around here! Especially the children." He frowned after speaking. "Er … that is if you want."

Aris smiled. "I would love to. Thank you so much for your kindness; I'll pay you back!" She didn't know if she ever could, but she was willing to try. This man and his daughter had taken her in without expecting anything in return. The least she could do was find a way to show her gratitude.

"If you can cook, I will accept it. My daughter has been trying to perfect her cabbage soup for the past week, and I will say that it is … not to my liking." The mayor pulled back his upper lip, which Aris took as a grimace, and she chuckled.

"Well, I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee I will make anything that tastes remotely good."

Mayor Bo bellowed out a laugh, something Aris had not been expecting and patted his stomach. His eyes squinted even further, crinkling in the corners. "Well, the bar won't be set very high. Just do your best, and it should be fine." Bo settled down, though the hint of his smile was still curving his mouth. "Why don't you go find Ilia? She was worrying over you earlier, saying how she was going to find some more clothes for you."

After Bo gave her directions to where he believed Ilia to be, Aris said her goodbyes and exited the house, only to be welcomed by warm sunlight. It was a nice change from the cool darkness she had experienced the night before. It took her a second to adjust to the sunlight, but the vision of the town made her heart swell.

Small, homey cottages were sprinkled in the valley, not unlike Bo and Ilia's house. Nearby, a small stream trickled under a bridge that led to a water mill. On her side of the stream to the right was a path that went up a steep looking hill with a large sign at the top. Aris didn't think that was the way to go, so she crossed the smaller bridge and turned left toward the several buildings near the mill.

As Aris walked, she noticed several villagers out and about, minding their own business. When Aris caught their eyes, they stared at her, curiosity clear in their eyes. In an attempt to ignore their prying stares, Aris maintained her focus on the path that Bo had mentioned led toward the shop Ilia was at.

She liked the way that the dirt path felt underneath her bare feet. The occasional patches of grass that appeared in the road tickled her feet, and the smooth stones that dotted the way felt cool against her skin. It felt familiar. Was this the path she had taken last night from the spring? Could she reach the spring if she followed this path into the forest

Aris became so focused on the path she didn't see the young boy making a beeline for her legs until he was right under her nose. The collision locked her knees, and both her and the kid bounced back onto the ground. While she rubbed her bum, the boy groaned as a familiar pair of hands picked him up under the arms.

"But I don't wanna take a nap!" He cried. "Link, can't you just tell my mom I'm napping? We can go fishing! Or practice our slingshots!"

Link, dressed in clothes similar to Bo and the young boy before her, pursed his lips as though he were deep in thought. "Hmm … no."

The boy's eyes turned from hopeful to devastated. It was hard not to laugh. Aris hid her smile behind a hand. Link's eyes sparkled with mischief when he met her own as if they were sharing a secret.

The boy kicked his feet back and forth. "I don't need a nap! Malo needs one 'cuz he's little, and Beth needs one 'cuz she's a girl. But I'm neither of those! I'm a big boy! I helped you save Hyrule!"

Link disregarded the boy's arguments, shaking his head with a grim expression. "You see Talo, I was about to let you walk away as a free man, but …" He gestured to Aris, who was still sitting where she had fallen on the ground. "You knocked down the village's honored guest."

Talo looked down at Aris, who instantly schooled her expression to that of hurt, and shock widened his eyes before they scrunch back up into a sulky pout. "But, I didn't mean to!"

"Doesn't matter, dude. You have to man up and face the consequences."

Talo's body slumped in Link's arms, and the older boy set him down. "Fine. I'll take my nap."

"Good," Link was saying as he pushed Talo in the direction they had come from. "I better not hear anything about you running off again. Otherwise, I won't teach you that secret move you wanted to learn."

"Okay!" Talo yelled from frustration as he scampered off. Aris tilted her head and laughed, allowing her arms to support her as she leaned back. Link grinned as he held out a hand. She gripped it and stood, brushing off the dirt and sand from her dress; luckily, it hadn't stained the fabric.

"Sorry about that," Link said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "The kids around here think everything is their playground, which unfortunately includes people."

Aris beamed, watching Talo look behind him, notice her stare, and hurry off in the same direction. "No, he's sweet."

"Sweet?" For a second, Link looked off guard, but he quickly regained his easy-going composure. "Well, that's not the word I would have used, but, yeah, Talo's a good kid. So are the rest of them." He cleared his throat, staring at her with those fierce eyes she had nearly forgotten about, before speaking again. "So, Ilia told me you touched her mirror? And you started remembering some things?"

"Oh!" Aris felt her face flush for a moment. "I can properly introduce myself, now." She grinned and stuck out a hand. "My name is Aris. I'm sixteen. It's nice to meet you."

Link took her hand easily, mirroring her face. "I'm Link, but you already know that. I'll be eighteen in about a week. It's nice to meet you, too, Aris."

"Eighteen?" Aris feigned horror. "I thought you were twelve!"

Link snorted. "I'm glad to see you have some sort of personality. I was afraid I had brought home some an- some sort of husk."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I was just really tired." Aris huffed lightly, before noticing a familiar figure approaching behind Link.

"Aris! Are you okay being up?" Ilia was carrying a small, woven basket, in which she could see some bits of cloth under a blanket. Ilia noticed Aris glancing down at her arms, and gave a nervous giggle. "I was hoping these were your size; I was kind of betting on the fact that you fit into my clothes from a year or two ago."

"I'm sure she'll fit in those," Link said, suddenly rushing his words. "More importantly, I would really like to discuss what happened last night." When neither of them moved, he sighed. "Somewhere more private. Like my house, or something. And can one of you get this mirror shard? I'd like to take a look at it."

Ilia nodded. "I'll go get it. Just let me drop off these clothes. You two can go on ahead without me."

"Thank you, Ilia. For the clothes." Aris touched the other young woman's shoulder, and Ilia gave her a feline smile.

"No problem!" And then she bounded away down the path. Link shook his head before gesturing for Aris to follow him.

The walk to Link's house was relatively quiet; Aris wasn't sure about her companion, but she definitely didn't mind it. It gave her more time to observe her surroundings and more time to observe him. She walked a pace behind him so that he wouldn't be disturbed by her prodding gaze.

Link was actually shorter than she had originally thought. Back at the spring, he had seemed really big and strong, what with him carrying the majority of her weight the whole way to Ilia's house without breaking a sweat. She had guessed that she stood maybe at his chin since her feet had barely touched the ground, but, now that she was standing on even ground with him, she realized the top of her head was at his eye level, and Ilia was around the same height. It was somewhat upsetting to know she was the shortest one of the three, but Aris couldn't exactly pinpoint why she felt that way.

Link's garb really was similar to that of the mayor's but, Link had far more layers, along with plenty of scars protruding where the clothing did not cover. She wanted to ask him about them, but that wasn't exactly polite to ask of her savior.

They arrived at a large tree just outside the village and on the edge of the forest entrance; it was perhaps the largest oak Aris had seen yet. A small hut sat about a story off the ground, nestled within the tree, but on closer inspection, Aris realized the house was made from the tree itself. Her eyes widened at the ingenuity, and she could feel Link's eyes on her.

"Link, this is amazing!" Aris whispered, nearly unable to tear her eyes away from the lovely cottage. "How did you do this?" When she finally looked at Link, she could see his face filled with pride, but it couldn't mask the shyness that was his averted eye and his pink blush.

"Rusl — he took care of me when I was left here — he helped me build it after I moved out several years ago. I've been living here since I was thirteen." He rubbed his nose with nose with his thumb. Although she still felt awe from the house, something about what Link said bothered her.

Left here? Does that mean Link was orphaned? Then where were his parents? Aris's brows furrowed, grey eyes clouding with concern. "Link-"

Before she could ask him what he meant, Ilia bounded up behind them, panting slightly. "Sorry! Dad held me up longer than I wanted."

Link smirked, though there was no real mockery behind it. "Did he tell you that your off cooking duty?"

Both Aris and Ilia looked at him in surprise. Ilia voiced Aris's thoughts. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Let's get going while the sun is up."

The two girls watched him head toward the ladder before Ilia turned to Aris with an exasperated look in her eyes. "Can you believe that prior to six months ago, Link never made a sarcastic joke? He was always a bundle of nerves and had no confidence with girls whatsoever. He sometimes even tripped over his words with me, his best friend!" She huffed. "And now that he's back, all he does is quip at me! Like, it's fine and all. I'm glad he's coming out of his shell and growing up, but it still throws me off."

Aris simply smiled. She didn't know what Link was like before, but she couldn't imagine it was all that different. He still seemed to get shy, like when she praised his house.

"Are you girls going to just sit there all night?" Link yelled from his porch. Ilia sighed but made to move up the ladder. Aris scrambled after her. Link held the door open for the both of them, and then shut the door behind him.

Aris was just as amazed with the interior of the treehouse as she had been with the outside. It had been carved away to be a spacious home, and nearly everything seemed to be made from the tree itself, including the stove in the corner of the room (which wasn't exactly fire-safe, but Aris still found it pretty cool nonetheless. Ilia caught her looking around in wonder and scoffed.

"Oh, don't do that. It'll just blow up his ego even more."

"But it's still pretty cool. Everything in here seems to be made by hand," Aris replied, scanning the whole house. Behind her, Link coughed, and she saw the pink flush had risen to his ears. When he caught her looking at him, he cleared his throat to look more serious and avoided her eyes, gesturing to his dining table.

"Make yourself comfortable."

Aris obliged, but she still marveled at the handiwork of the wooden furniture around her. The wobbly edges of the chair she sat in and of the table she sat at caused her lips to turn upward, but it was still far better than what she expected any thirteen-year-old to make with his own hands.

"Okay. Fill me in," Link said, pulling back a chair of his own once the girls were seated. Aris and Ilia exchanged a look, with Ilia giving her a slight nod.

"While Ilia was helping me find some clothes, I noticed she had this really pretty glass shard. I thought it was really pretty, so I asked her if I could touch it," Aris began. Link looked at Ilia, who pulled out the mirror and handed it to Link.

He frowned, tracing the edges with an almost practiced finger. "This is … a mirror."

Aris nodded. "I didn't notice it at first, but yeah."

"It has … a strange power to it." He rubbed the pane with his knuckle. Ilia's eyes widened, but Aris could only nod again. Link stared at the mirror for a few moments longer before looking back up to meet Aris's watching eyes. "So you picked it up. What happened next?"

"Well, I started hearing these voices calling me — almost like they were pulling me toward the mirror." Aris pursed her lips and shuddered. Those voices had scared her. Not because they were eerie or trying to be purposefully frightening, but because they were calling out in agony, and they were familiar. She continued, "Then, there was a big explosion of orange light, and the voice started getting louder and louder until it began to hurt my ears."

"What? I never heard anything." Ilia frowned gently. "I mean, the light was there, but … voices?"

"It's probably because the illusion was directed for Aris. You just ended up being collateral." Link finally placed the mirror onto the table, meeting Aris's eyes with an intensity beyond what was normal with Link. She shuddered unconsciously. "So, you started remembering things?"

"Yeah. First, it was my name … and then other things. But nothing that tells me who I am or where I come from." The information hadn't come gradually. While those voices had been screaming from the shard, the knowledge that she had now had been shoved into her head, all in one go. It had been extremely painful, and she didn't really want to go through it again. But, even if she learned her name, everything else was unimportant. It felt like she went through a lot and gained so little.

"No," Link said slowly, and a small smile crept onto his face. "You learned your name. That's a big step from when you didn't even know your hands from your feet. Your name makes you _you_, and nobody else."

"Oh." Now, Aris was the one feeling embarrassed. She shouldn't have gotten so negative; these people were trying their best to help her. She didn't need to bring them down with her own disappointment. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Ilia raised a slim brow. "Aris, there's nothing to be sorry for."

"So- … okay." Aris gave her a small smile. Link cleared his throat and held up the mirror.

"I know exactly what this calls for."

"What?" Ilia asked, dubious.

"A trip to the spring."

* * *

Aris quietly trailed Link as she followed him down the path to the spring. It became more familiar as they went along, and she remembered the various rocks and branches they had avoided.

Link had sent Ilia home, much to her protest, and she reluctantly saw them off before leaving to go back to her home. Aris wondered why Link had done that, but when she asked, Link only said how the mirror didn't really concern her. This didn't make sense, considering it was Ilia's in the first place. But Aris trusted Link, and so did Ilia, so she accepted his answer without any more questions.

Link opened the floral gate, peeking back at her with a knowing smile. She frowned, but she told herself she would know all in good time. It's not like she wasn't used to withheld information, anyway.

The young man in front of her approached Ordon Spring with light, cautious steps. Aris did her best to do the same, finding she was a little clumsy with this body.

…

This body?

Before she could ponder more on that thought, Link paused in front of her, standing a few feet away from the water's edge. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth. "Ordona? Can you hear me?"

At first, nothing happened. Aris was beginning to think that maybe Link was partly crazy, talking to nothing, but then a shimmer of light erupted from the center of the spring. It was different from the mirror's light: where that light had been cold and painful, this light was warm and welcoming.

Aris stole a glance at Link. He was the picture of calm. The lip had been worrying on the way to the spring was no longer between his teeth, although it was a little swollen. His icy blue irises stayed confidently on the ball of light that was growing ever larger before them. Feeling her pensive stare, Link looked over at her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Ordona is the best person — or should I say being? — to talk about this sort of thing."

And then Aris could no longer look at Link and his infectious fearlessness. The light source grew larger, and the glow became ever brighter. Aris had to shield her eyes with her arm, but Link continued staring into the brilliance, a smile forming onto his face.

The light dimmed gradually, and eventually, Aris was able to put her arm down. For about the hundredth time that day, Aris felt her jaw slacken. In place of the ball of light was an enormous spirit floating in the air before them. The creature took on the appearance of one of the goats she had seen on top of the hill earlier in the day, with its softly curved snout and the horns that rose from their head only to connect and form a circle around its light source. However, its legs were clawed instead of hooved, and where the skinny tail of a goat should be was a long tail, similar to that of a wolf's.

"Ordana," Link breathed out. Aris finally made the connection that _this_ was Ordona and that _this_ is what was needed to be a secret from Ilia.

Aris wasn't sure whether she was supposed to bow in respect, or to at least nod her head, but Link made no move to do either. Unsure, since Link seemed familiar with Ordana, Aris gave somewhat of a half bow, curving her back only slightly.

_Young Link,_ a voice whispered in her head. She glanced around before realizing that it was probably Ordona projecting its voice into her head. _And dear Aris. You have come before me seeking answers, do you not?_

"Yes." Link stepped forward, pulling out the mirror shard from his blue girdle. "Can you tell me what this is?"

The being of light floated closer, bringing its face closer to Link's outstretched arm, before drawing away quickly. Aris thought she saw a look of disgust cross the spirit's eyes, but who was she to judge the expressions of a spirit?

_You know exactly what that is._

"I thought so," Link muttered, eyes refocusing on the mirror in his hand as he drew it closer. "Are there more? Can I find them?"

_Yes, but not without help. They are difficult to find, and can only be found by one with emotional ties to that world._ Ordona nodded to Aris, who in return pointed at herself in confusion.

"Me?"

"Her?" Apparently, her confusion was shared, which she took solace in. "Wait, what about me? I have a lot of emotional ties to that world. I spent half a year there! Isn't that enough?"

And, Aris was lost again.

Ordona shook its head. _Dear Aris has unfortunately been in that realm for longer than you can imagine. She has been … tainted._

"Twilight doesn't taint," Link said through gritted teeth, and Aris turned on him in surprise. She had only known him for less than twenty-four hours, but she had been sure Link was not easily angered. But the flash of rage was gone as soon as it appeared.

_Either way, if you wish to reform the Mirror of Twilight, you will need Aris's help, young Link. She is the only living tie in this world to the realm in between._ Ordona reared its head. _Besides, not only will you be achieving your own goal, but Aris will be retrieving her memories. In such, you will both find the situation favorable._

Link hesitated before looking at Aris. There was excitement in his eyes, excitement, and anticipation over something she didn't quite understand, but there was also uncertainty dancing behind them. Aris realized he was waiting for her answer.

She still didn't really understand what the two were talking about, and could only snatch bits and pieces, but what she could pin down was the fact that Link needed to gather more of these to create something called a "Mirror of Twilight", or such. The spirit had also mentioned that by collecting these shards, Aris would regain more of her memories. The recollection of the pain she had felt gave her reason for pause, but the fear of pain also had to battle her growing curiosity.

With a small sigh, she nodded at the boy next to her. His growing smile caught her off guard, and he whooped and punched a fist in the air.

Aris cleared her throat, pulling the attention away from Link. "Mister … Miss … Ordona, can you give a little bit more information?"

The creature's head bobbed. _The shards are spread all across Hyrule. Link will know where they have fallen, but it's up to you to locate the shards' exact positions. There is ten total; all are in places that were significant in Link's previous journey. One has already been retrieved._

"I know where they have fallen?"

_Remember the places of power you have visited. They hold the keys._

"Oh. Oh, I get it." Link looked from the mirror to Aris, to Ordona. "Thank you, Ordona. I appreciate your guidance."

"Uh …" Aris bowed. "Thank you!" She hoped the goat spirit would understand her sentiments, but the light was already growing brighter. Brighter and brighter, until she had to shield her eyes again. Before the light reached its peak brilliance, Ordona's voice floated through the air with an ominous ring.

_Go forth onto your final journey._


End file.
